How to Ship
The ability to ship your animals will greatly increase your sales-market but it can be scary for new breeders. There are many rules that apply to shipping live animals and you will need to be aware of them.
Shipping boxes: Animals must be shipped in a new/never-used sturdy box with foam lining. The foam provides some thermal insulation, but its primary purpose is to prevent the box from being crushed in transit. The industry standard minimum thickness is 3/4” foam on all sides. The only shipping company that still accepts 1/2” foam is Reptiles2you but for the safety of your animals, please go by the industry standard. Most shipping companies recommend using a white box with colorful writing on the outside to indicate the box needs special handling. While you can achieve the requirements above using your own materials, shipping companies and reptile supply websites offer a wide range of products that were designed with these requirements in mind.
DO NOT use FEDEX priority or flat-rate shipping boxes.
Size —Set up an appropriate-sized box for the animal(s) you are shipping. You will want it to be large enough to allow for padding around the animal and separation between the animal and the hot/cold pack should you need one. When temperatures are on the warmer-side, I like to use slightly larger boxes so my snakes have more wiggle room to stretch without making contact with the walls that may have absorbed heat from outside. When in doubt, go up a size!
Ventilation —Add air holes as needed. Boxes with multi-piece foam linings are inherently not airtight and many breeders do not add additional ventilation. It is still recommended (required by some shipping companies) to add a hole to the sides of your box for a number of reasons. When shipping in colder temps, you will need to use a heat pack that work by a chemical rection that puts out gas that can be toxic if contained. Adding 1/4” holes to two or more sides will allow that gas to escape. During summer months, I like to add more or larger airholes to prevent warm air from building up in the box.
Labeling: All boxes containing live animals shall comply with requirements set by the Lacey Act and the Department of Fish & Wildlife. The words “Wildlife - Harmless Live Animal” should be clearly written on the sides of your box. Somewhere on the box (on the top or other designated space) you must have the number of animals and species name both scientific and common.
Note: it is your responsibility to ensure the proper labeling is on your box. Failure to do so could result in your package being delayed, confiscated, or returned with potential fines for improper labeling. There are some reptile shipping boxes on the market that only say “Perishable” or “Handle with Care” which does not comply with the Lacey Act and you will need to add to these labels.
Packaging: Package your animal in either a bag or deli cup. Whichever you use, it should be large enough to allow the snake to get comfortable but not so large that the animal slides around. You will want to include a half-sheet paper towel in the bag/cup to provide absorbency in case the snake has to go during its trip. I have personally received animals that arrived cold and wet because the bag became soaked in urine.
It is extremely important to tightly secure the bag or deli cup in a way to prevent the animal from getting loose en route. Snake bags come either with a drawstring opening or some other way to tie up the bag. If you feel confident in your knot-tying abilities, you may feel that is enough. I always recommend a secondary securing method, either using a zip-tie below your knot, using rubber bands, or (if the bag is long enough) you can knot up the bag itself. Deli-cups can be secured with either tape or numerous rubber bands. An animal that gets loose in shipment can potentially become injured by a heat pack, can escape if the box is damaged, or result in fines/confiscation during random DFW inspections.
You will need to use a packing medium to provide both comfort and insulation for your snake. Each of the below options can be used successfully so it really comes down to personal preference.
Poly-fil — This is my absolute favorite medium for packing. It is cheap and can be purchased from any big box store that carries crafting supplies. It is light weight and can be packed as loosely or tightly as needed. It is spongy enough to facilitate some movement and absorb energy transferred during drops or impacts.
Packing paper — this option is also easy to aquire and offers great insulation but can compact flat. This option is very cost effective and is a popular option for very large breeders who ship out larger quantities.
Packing peanuts —Foam or biodegradable packing peanuts can be purchased from shipping or moving companies and used to be a more common medium used to ship reptiles. The main drawback is the amount of space a supply of them would take up.
Temperatures: The last thing you have to consider before shipping your package is the temperatures at your location, the destination, AND the location of the sorting facility. Experience will ultimately set the limit on how cold or how hot you can ship in. In general, anything between 50-90 degrees (F) is safe for shipping ball pythons but temps that are outside of normal ball python comfort range will require use of chemical thermal packs.
Here is my general guideline for shipping at different temperatures:
above 95°F - Unsafe for shipping*
85-95°F - Safe with CryoPak/Phase 22 (solid)
70-85°F - Safe with no supplemental heating/cooling
65-75°F - Recommend use of warm CryoPak (liquid)
45-70°F - Safe with heat pack**
below 45°F - Unsafe for shipping
*Experienced shippers may use cold packs to ship in these conditions, but I choose to delay shipping until back down in the safe range
**If shipping temperature are inconsistent across locations or any chance of temperatures being warmer than expected, packing a room temp CryoPack/Phase 22 in addition to the heat pack will keep the box from overheating. When in doubt, CryoPak! When the temperature range is expected to fluctuate around or just above to 70°F, I will just use a warmed CryoPak
Notes about heat packs: Heat packs work by a chemical reaction that consumes oxygen and off gasses. For reptiles, the 40-hour heat pack is recommended as they were designed to reach peak heat when your package would be traveling overnight. Do not use human hand/feet warmers! To properly activate the pack, remove it from the packaging, shake lightly, and wrap in a hand towel or paper for at least 30-60 minutes. They will not work properly if this is not done! Make sure it has begun to warm up then tape to the inside of the foam lid piece. Do not rely on the adhesive on the pack; use tape! The pack can be taped on by itself or wrapped in packing paper/newsprint, just be sure that the red line on the pack is facing outward. This red line is where gas escapes from the pack. Anytime heat packs are used, ventilation holes are a must and it is recommended to not use any smaller than a 12x9x6 box. A roomy box plus adequate packaging medium prevents the animal from making contact with the heat pack. Another important note is that these packs CAN EXPIRE so be sure to check the date before use.
Notes about CryoPaks/Phase 22: These are gel packs that want to be at 74°F and will undergo chemical phase changes to get to reach it. To use in warm months, pre-cool the pak in your refrigerator or submerge in cold water until the gel becomes solid. In a solid state, the pak will absorb heat and keep the contents of the box cooler. To use in cool months, pre-warm with water and ensure it is in a liquid state. A pak at room temperature can be added to a box as a safety measure against overheating. The gel inside the pak is toxic, so I recommend securing it in a ziplock bag during shipments. The pak can be taped to the bottom or sides of the box or simply left loose in the bottom. It is safe to come in contact with your animal. Additionally, these amazing things are reuseable! So next time you receive a live animal shipment with one inside, be sure to save it.
Shipping company: Now that you understand how to package your snake and have all your supplies, it’s time to talk about the actual process of booking your shipment. Many large breeders and reptile distributors have business accounts with UPS or Fedex and can ship directly, but the rest of us will have to use a third-party shipping company that works only through Fedex. Getting shipment quotes, making shipping labels, and package insurance will all be done through one of these companies: Reptiles2You, Reptiles Express, Ship Your Reptiles, and Redline Shipping. (Click the name to be taken to their websites). You will want to pick the company that has an insurance policy that you are happy with. In my experience, Reptiles Express usually has the lowest rates, Reptiles2You has the best customer service, and Redline offers the best/most coupon codes. I have never used ShipYourReptiles before.
